Wednesday, July 20, 2011 With fall bear season less than a couple of weeks off, how many of you are going to hunt this season. Consider this for a moment. This is the perfect time to get out in the elk woods and scout your favorite spots and glass for bears. Last season I was talking to a ODF&W Game Biologist at the trail head and he said that bears do a lot af damage to the elk heards. Especially in the spring during calving season. So now is the perfect chance to combine a trip into the woods and get after those pesky bears. I know the Stacked Rack Boys will be definately out there.On our trip we will be heading into our favorite back country spot glassing for bears, scouting for elk and as a bonus flyfishing for trout. Now in my book it dosen't get much better than that. So take advantage of the early season and get out there and enjoy the back country that we are so blessed to live around.
Wednesday, July 20, 2011 Okay were getting close to Elk Season and most of us are right in the middle of fiddling with equipment and doing some early packing and shuffling with our gear in our packs. So with that in mind lets talk stoves. I purchased the Jet Boil SOL for a specific need in my back country hunts. The new SOL is lighter than the Flash, smaller cooking pot, and more compact. When the SOL came in the mail my first thought was that this was just going to be a slightly smaller version of the flash. But boy was I wrong at first glance the SOL is totally re-designed the folks at Jet Boil re-designed the entire cooking pot and stove to shave weight. The heat indicator is also different. After Boiling up some water in the garage I was really impressed, the smaller cooking pot really boils water fast. My use for the SOL is for 3-4 day hunts where boiling shower water is not needed. The new SOL has a 500 ml pot which is quite a bit smaller than the Flash. I think for extended back country hunts, one week + the bigger flash is a better choice. But the SOL certainly fills the gap for comapct 3-4 day hunts. The burner and a small fuel cartridge still fits inside the SOL. I give it a five out of five rating. Jet boil scores a hit once again.
Sunday, July 17, 2011 We have officially been diagnosed with Elk fever. It is only 40 short days until the season begins and we make our journey into the high country in pursuit. Many of us have spent some time in the woods already checking game areas and trail cameras. It is shaping up to be a slightly different year. Much cooler and much wetter than normal. Maybe...just maybe the peak of the rut will be upon us in mid-September. Until then its scouting and gear testing. The Stacked Racks crew is headed to some familiar areas to chase Black Bears and scout for Bull in early August. With 6 hunters headed in it should be a productive hunt. keep tuned for the story and pictures.
Sunday, May 15, 2011 April 18th 0530 (Jim's Actual Birthday) Under the overcast sky's of spring we loaded our week long arsenal of gear and embarked on yet another journey. This would yet again be the "Best Trip" we have had into the remote and rugged country our souls crave more and more each coming season. As we gently glided down the highway towards roads end clean crisp 37 degree air and spring snowflakes whisked over the windshield. The drive was more quite than normal, over 10 hours of travel not one hint of music, no use of cell phones, just small brief conversations about the excitement that was starting to build between Jim and I. We were without the usual crew and most noticeable without Bryan who had planned on being at the tip of the spear until 2 days before we embarked. The towns we pass through was carefully nestled between snow covered hillsides and raging spring rivers offering glimpses into majestic glowing mountain ranges. This is undoubtedly gods country and we are headed straight into it. As we became closer and closer the moment we waited all year for once again arrived. Confirmed by the loss of cell phone signal and crushing of gravel beneath the tires. Finally we made the last turn onto the last road. This road would take us deep into no mans land, only dirt trails from this point on. No noisy 4 wheelers, road hunters, no gun shot every 10 mins, just rugged landscape and path we choose. As we pull up and the transmission is placed in park an antsy feeling shoots like lighting through our bodies. The warm smooth air fills our lungs with the smell of flowers, dirt, and the musk of elk. It is time for the last taste of civilized world for a week. We sit on the tailgate and inhale the subway sandwiches purchased just for this occasion. A final gear check and testing of our bows reveals as expected no problems and we are on our way. Its a few thousand feet of climbing through grassy hills and rock outcroppings before we level out on the trail. Every step up with 40lb packs and misc gear make us smirk and question if our three months or more of conditioning was enough to do this for the next week day in and day out. Each of us trying to catch a glimpse of the others thoughts in facial expressions and beads of sweat. We would admit later that we were both thinking that we felt a little weaker than we wanted and that the first climb of the trip was humbling. Our group is not a bunch of light weights, some portion of every day is spent preparing for the next hunt, the next season, the next trial. We have some of the best gear on the market, we are ultralight and top notch fit. After all out motto is "Go in Light and Come Out Heavy". All of these thoughts cross my mind. Already I have logged away somewhere I must increase physical conditioning and hill climbs before elk season. As we trudge along the open country cut deep by ravines and rocky faces the wilderness slowly swallows the ringing in our ears. Our acute hearing returns with the keen eyesight and knack for spotting game before it spots you. After all the best performers survive in this landscape. We are the ultimate predators this week, well equip, well planned and mentally ready to take anything nature can throw at us over 7 days. That is a good sensation to have when you are looking into miles and miles of deep canyons, snow covered peaks and wind swept grassy hillsides. What will be the final creek crossing of our day sits a half mile behind us we crest the small ridge on this rocky trail stopping to admire the area we decided months ago would be a good spot to start. Sipping water from my camelback I pick out a few places in the basin I think will most likely hold a Turkey. The Leupold 10x42 Mojave Binoculars illuminate the magnified images of a distant landscape on my eyes. Within seconds I spot a flock of Turkeys feeding in a meadow as of they were placed there for us to find. I tap Jim on the shoulder as I ecstatically try to explain landmarks and locations of the birds to him. There has to be at least 20 with 6 large gobblers strutting in the glowing evening sun. We spent the next 45 mins admiring everything about them. I thought to myself Turkey hunting is easy. First place we looked and bam turkeys every where as if we planted them there to find. Jim was filled with excitement, he commented that this was the best turkey hunt he had been on so far. That single statement set a rush of questions through my mind with a hint of guilt. Jim is an experienced turkey hunter to me. He has taken many large birds and even been a pro staffer for a call maker. To me he is the real deal, I feel like I'm hunting on the outdoor channel when he is along. Needless to say looks like I hit the jackpot. The guilt came from instantly wishing that Bryan my closest hunting partner of 26 years and Brother was here. This was the first trip that he had not been on with me hunting the backcountry in as long as I can remember. I would have given anything to have him sharing that experience with us. We retreated to a small "Flat" spot on the hillside about 200 yards from the creek we had crossed and made camp. Jim never stopped smiling while he erected his NEMO tent and inflated his bed. The Henry Shires Cloud Burst 2 would be my home for the next 6 nights. We gathered water from the creek and constructed a make shift water tower in camp with our MSR Gravity Filter 4L bag. This usually lasts 2 guys about a day. As the burners on our Jetboils ripped through the silence of near darkness we grinned and plotted the mornings hunt. It would be cold this evening, clear sky's and moist mountain air at 4000ft would test our light weight gear. Dreams of turkeys and perfect call sets filled my mind as I drifted into a motionless sleep hoping tomorrow would be the day I harvest my first turkey ever. As the morning sun slowly brought light upon the side of my frozen tent I began to stir. My first thought was man its cold. Shortly followed by its really ^&%$)* cold out here. The clear night sky brought tempretures in the low 20's. The want to hunt finally over came my desire to stay warm in the zero degree Kelty Zypher and Bivy. I quickly started getting every layer I could find in my pack on. Jim only a few feet away in his tent had started the same process. We crawled into the morning sun surrounded by a shimmering blanket of frost. Soon we would discover that all our water was frozen. We decided to bag breakfast and get to hunting we would eat on the run today. "Run and Gun" as we refer to it. With our OPW - Rogues loaded up and bows in hand we started into the basin. 300 yards from camp I pulled my binos up for a quick once over of the meadow we spotted the turkeys in the evening before. Bam there they were again, and in the next meadow. There were turkeys all over feeding in the sunlight. Instantly not cold anymore the hunt was beging to unfold. We talked some quick tactics and decided to use ravines in the basin to get closer to the birds. I was easy walking once we got out of their sight and we quickly closed to with 350-400 yards. With all those sets of eyes watching our next move could be our last. We opted to stick with the cover along the creek bed and move slowly up the canyon towards the flocks of feeding birds. This proved to be a bit more challenging as they picked a very dense steep canyon to call home. As jim eased through the sticker bushes and brush I followed trying my best to keep quiet. As we closed the gap I began to get excited. I started checking my gear. broadheads were tight, nock was not broken, sight is not loose and rest is not frozen. We slithered into a deep cut bank about 100 yards from where we last saw them. Got decoys set up to walk with and nocked an arrow. As we worked our way onto the bench a few birds were visable slightly above us and feeding away. A small patch of bushes would give the consealment to gain 30 more yards and start calling. We spent the next 30-40 minutes in a calling sequence and got only a few answers from the gobblers. They were swallowed up into the canyon as fast as they appeared. Jim and I took a break to regroup and eat breakfast. We decided to "Spot and Stalk" up the canyon. 250-300 yards up it got very narrow and forced us to gain altitude. As we assended our bodys would be silouetted on the skyline. Slinking along we dropped back into the canyon and continued our hunt. I climbed through a thorn bush to get out of the running creek as Jim walked around it. Just as we began clawing our way up the embankment a gobbler fired off just yards away from me. I tunred to Jim as I started to shake. Jim hit the ground and tld me to nock an arrow. He had to be right there, with the running water and dense cover that bird was not more than 20 yards i thought. I quickly decide that I could get above him while he was in the creek bottom. I thought it would help limit his escape and increase my odds of spotting him before he saw me. I crawled up the bank into some more....you guessed it..thorn bushes. As I attached my released I took a deep breath, starting to stand up....there he was 25 yards away. his bright blood filled red head and black bead like eyes staring right at me. I was pinned. He started to putt and I saw the gears in his mind go 0-60 just before his feet began to follow. The bird raced off into the ravine he had just exited. I stood up drew my bow and walked directly towards where he was. Nothing sneeky or quiet about it just directly at his suspected location. I know if I could get a little elevation and some shooting lanes I had a chance if he didn't fly. As I approached the edge of the bank I caug... [ more ]
Tuesday, March 8, 2011 Want to give the guys over at Green Gate Pursuits a pat on the back. Nice work with your first official video release. We enjoyed being along on your adventure. Both the ups and downs of bowhunting and hunting itself. Periods of unexplainable joy and happiness followed closely by the sick humbling terror of uncertainty. Our hats off to all of you guys and families for a great season. Looking forward to the Full Draw Film Tour this year. You can follow Green Gate at their website http://www.greengatepursuits.com/ and on their blog linked to the site. Also purchase their brand new release "Turning Point" at the site. Shipping is on them.
Stacked Racks Movie Trailer 2011
Friday, February 4, 2011 Stacked Racks Movie Trailer 2011
Wednesday, February 2, 2011 Now that we are up and running we expect to have frequent updates with gear reviews, pictures, and updated fitness routines to keep track of our progress towards the 2011 seasons. First on the list will be our 6 day backcountry turkey hunt. -"Train Hard, Hunt Easy"..
Stacked Racks was unofficially started in 2007 when two brothers decided they wanted to take their hunting memories abroad. After a successful year bow hunting in the back country of Oregon we had enough footage to produce our first film "Stacked Racks - Beginners Luck". We edited and produced the film for family and friends with good results. In 2008 we repeated a similar season with similar results. In 2009 we decided that we wanted to make a change and improved everything about the way we put media together. We agreed that there are not a lot of documentary bow hunting films out there. We have since strived to fill that void and join the elite group of back country DIY hunters and document the success, disappointments and learning points of bow hunting. We have produced 4 films, “Beginners Luck”, “Never Give Up”, a Back Country Bear hunt, and “Stacked Racks – 2010”. Follow us as we outline the training, gear, and dedication needed to preform successfully in the wild and unforgiving back country or the Northwest and beyond.
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